WalMart brings back Merry Christmas

1
Wal-Mart brings backMerry Christmas

• Article from CNN

2
Happy Holidays

• In previous years Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, and
  Sears have chosen Happy Holidays and Home for
  the Holidays over Merry Christmas.
• Why?
• Politically correct
• Appeals to all religions
• Avoids controversy

3
The Backfire

• Groups such as The American Family Association
  and the The Catholic Leauge boycotted these
  stores
• Customers were offended
• Profits went down
• November-December accounts for as much as 50 of
  profits and sales

4
Solution

• Wal-Mart has chosen to
• Instruct employees to greet customers with merry
  Christmas
• Calling decorations department Christmas Shop
• Playing Christmas carols throughout store
• Labels on merchandise now says Christmas instead
  of Holiday
• T.V. Ads will now use the word Christmas

5
Other trends?

• On-line sales up
• Retail sales up 5 or more
• Merry Christmas back
• Electronics
• Starting early (3 weeks before thanksgiving)
• 40 of shoppers start before thanksgiving
• Play station III
• Good sales early and often

6
Results

• Wal-Mart has chosen this strategy to increase
  profits and win the holiday shopping wars
• Changes have led
• the way for others
• to follow
• More is lost than
• won by trying to be
• politically correct